Inside the versatility that separates four-star linebacker Suntarine Perkins
Ole Miss commitment Suntarine Perkins — the No.1 recruit in the state — is quiet by nature. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker lets his play speak for itself. His ability to make plays in the backfield and seamlessly transition into pass coverage is everything SEC coaches need to seefrom the senior linebacker.
However, there are two things that causes Perkins' face to light up with a brilliant smile: Riding horses and Alabama football.
Perkins began riding horses when he was seven years old, and he’s been doing it as an escape from football ever since.
“It’s just fun,” Perkins said. “They go fast.”
The Crimson Tide and defensive coordinator Pete Golding have recruited Perkins heavily since offering him in January, nearly two months after he became the first commitment in Lane Kiffin’s 2023 recruiting class. Golding has remained in daily contact, according to Perkins. Raleigh coach Ryan Higdon compares his versatility and effort to the Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson.
“I was shocked,” Perkins said in February. “Alabama has always been my dream team that I wanted to play for since I was little.”
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There’s no surprise that Alabama is still heavily recruiting Perkins. Georgia was also involved in his recruitment during his junior year. Perkins had 74 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble for Raleigh in 12 games. He also had 1,350 rushing yards and 13 TDs, while handling all kicking duties for the Lions.
Perkins is No. 1 in the Clarion Ledger 2022 Dandy Dozen.
The four-star recruit is the No. 5 athlete nationally and No. 77 recruit in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Perkins is the third-highest ranked commitment of the Kiffin era in Oxford, behind Jerrion Ealy and Tywone Malone.
The Clarion Ledger first-team all-state selection’s versatility has made him such a sought-after prospect, according to Higdon.
“Just his ability to do not just one thing well, but multiple things well,” Higdon said. “He’s the kind of guy that you can play with on defense. You can move him around because if you keep him on one side good coaches will say we’re just going to run away from him.
“When our defensive coordinator makes a call, he knows what the rest of the six are doing in the box. He’s played safety so he knows coverages. If we had to, we could move him back to safety right now and he wouldn’t miss a beat. If we had to say we need you to put your hand on the ground on the D-line he’d be able to do it.”
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The next step in Perkin’s game is adding more weight to his lanky frame to compete at the next level. It’s a necessary addition to get close to his linebacking idol: Ray Lewis. The Hall of Famer is Perkins’ best example of a “complete player” at linebacker.
“His size (stands out),” Higdon said. “How well he moves with his size and his explosiveness. He’s very explosive and he’s been hard in the weight room the last couple of years. He’s probably put on 20 or so pounds since his sophomore year.
“All you have to do is get the weight on him”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Inside the versatility that separates four-star linebacker Suntarine Perkins
